Phono Stage Question

thanks to all of you...I have ordered MC step up device, without RIAA to go into the Klimo phono input!

the two posts above are correct: fono-stage goes into a line input. but the gold aero db45 may very well not have enuff gain, either. 45db is getting borderline for lo-output mc's... you could get a mc step-up transformer for yer klimo's fono-stage. these are specifically designed to plug into riaa stages, *not* into line-stages - they do *not* have riaa equalization, only gain...

doug s.

The two previous posts are correct, but in case you're wondering here's why :
A phono stage is both an amplifier AND an equalizer. It amplifies, and it also greatly boosts the bass, and cuts the treble (according to the RIAA frequency response curve). When the record is pressed the reverse is done (cut bass, boost treble) to maximize the signal to noise on the vinyl medium.

so if you run through 2 phono stages you'd likely get tons of bass and very very little treble (and perhaps cause damage since phono inputs typically expect smaller voltages than line inputs). In theory it should sound lousy. For fun (?!) you could try connecting a turntable with a high output cartridge directly to a line input. You'd expect to hear very little bass and loads of treble .. the opposite from the above.

CD player outputs (and line inputs) in comparison require no equalization, since CD's don't require that the source material be equalized prior to recording (since large amounts of bass are not going to "throw the laser out of the groove").

Sorry if I've just bored you to death, or told you what you already know ... if you're like me you'll like to know why you should do / not do something, rather than just to do/not do it.

All the best

Run the outboard phono stage into the line input, not the phono, definitely!!!! I'm sure that compounding the RIAA EQ won't sound right and may overload the phono input of the Klimo. Good Luck. :)